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Street cleaner death: Man remanded

A 30-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a popular street cleaner.

Piotr Mikiewicz, 40, was attacked on Wednesday afternoon in Rylett Road, Shepherd's Bush, west London, and taken to hospital by air ambulance but died the next day.

Roger Philip Buckingham, of Bentworth Road, Shepherd's Bush, was charged with his murder on Saturday and appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court today.

He was remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey for a plea and case management hearing on December 10.

A bail application hearing will take place at the court on Wednesday.

Buckingham is also charged with possession of an offensive weapon, theft of a motor vehicle and burglary at an address in Rylett Road on Wednesday.

Tributes have poured in following the death of Polish national Mr Mikiewicz, who was described as "a friend to everyone" by his employer, private contractor Serco.

The company's director Mike Boult said: "Piotr was a popular member of Serco's close-knit environmental services team, not only because of his hard-working nature but because he was a friend to everyone with a colourful and friendly personality.

"Anyone who knew Piotr knew he was a truly good and honest person. He had a strong sense of what was right and wrong. He wasn't just a road sweeper, he was a part of the community he worked within, genuinely caring about the residents and his 'beat'."

Two other men and three women who were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender on Thursday have been released on bail until a date in October.